Refractory setter



March 30, 1943. BROWN 2,315,395

REFRACTORY SETTER Filed Oct. l5, 1940 Patented Mar. 3U, '1943 as mac'romr serrait Leslie Brown, Trenton, N. J., assignor to `Lenox Incorporated, Trenton, N. J., aj corporation of New Jersey v Application `october 15, 1940, serial No. 361,316v

2 Claims.

This invention relates to refractory settersand, more particularly, to setters employed in the pro,- duction of fine quality porcelain such as that known to the trade as Minton, Doulton, Lenox, or the like. y l

As is well known to those familiar with the art, due to internal strains set up in formation of the clay piece and to the shrinkage occurring during initial firing thereof, there is a very decidedr tendency to warping, particularly in the rim portions of the finished article. While a slight warp is not important in the coarser grades of porcelain, in the finer grades such as those above referred to even the slightest warping results in rejection. Since the k.articles themselves are of very fine texture and of delicate construction in such liner wares, there is an increased tendency to warping, and it has been the practice to prepare such wares for firing by providing a suitable base and then forming upon this base a flint powder form which will provide a full support for the clay piece from which the article is to be produced. A second base ls then placed over this assemblage and this operationcontinued until the stack of 8 or 10 is prepared forv the oven. Such a method of setting, in addition to being time-consuming, is wasteful ofi-oven space, necessitates a longer firing time' due to the fact that the articles are, in effect, `embedded in the setting material and, furthermore, the set` ting operation involves a decided' silicosis'hazard'- even though` greatest possible care is. taleenlto insure good working conditions; h arises not only during the formationjso sett with flint powder, but likewise in removing V,the

thereby reduces the firing. time,v and which may struction shown in the accompanying drawing wherein, for the purpose of illustration, I have shown a preferred embodiment of my invention and wherein:

Figure 1 is a sectional View through a setter constructed in accordance with my invention, the clay piece being shown prior to the initial firing;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to that of Fig. 1 but showing the clay piece after ring; and

Fig. 8 is a sectional View illustrating a stack of setters as they appear when prepared for the oven.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, the setter comprises a central hub I0 flattened to form a uniform seat upon which the central portion of the dish nally comes to rest during the rng operation. This hub is surrounded by a depressed conical flange II the angle of which is made somewhat flatter than the conical rim I2 of the clay piece which it is to support. The depth of the depression of the flange II is Amade such that the central portion I3 of the will have its lower face slightly spaced above the 'Y hub l0.

As will be noted by a comparison of ,Figures 1 and 2, there is, during the firing operred articles from the kiln, and particularly aty this latter time since the flint powder isthen inf a very dry state and tends to float inthe at-l mosphere. While this method of settingl reduces the-number of rejects materially, it stillfails to produce anything like an adequate orefiicient ysupport for the articles being fired, as is evidenced by the fact. that with-such methods the rejects constitute between 20 and 40 percent vofthe fired articles. f An important object of 'the present inve'ntionis,Y -v

'posed surface of the setter.

ation, a very considerable shrinkage, this shrinkage being one of the main reasons why the iiint powder forms fall to give continuing adequate i support to theclay piece during the'firing operation. vBy use ofthe construction just described the plate, durlng shrinkage, maintains its rim in constant supporting engagement throughout with 1 'the flange II, and until the ring operation is substantially completed all portions of the clay piece will remain in spaced relation to the op- Such a setter may be` readily formed from any suitable refractory and the surface of the flange I I may be trued to insure absolute accuracy. Obviously, with a construction of this character all silicosis hazard is eliminated; the setting and firing times are materially reduced; and the number of clay pieces ,whichcan be fired in an oven of a certain size the provision of a unitary setter for useinfthe manufacture of ne chinaware which will of itself provide an adequate warp-preventing support throughout the firing operation; which provides a compact stack for insertion in the oven and, according1y, admits of an increase of the number of articles which may be red in a given time; which so supports the article that the oven heat can readily reach all parts thereof and is'rnaterially increased.

g'ffI'he-setters are so constructed that they may be readily stacked, being provided with legs I4, in ldesired number, adapted to engage a second setter and maintain the same in slightly spaced relation to adjacent setters. In the present instance, the marginal portions of the rim II are grooved to provide a' shoulder I5 against; which the inner edges of the legs Il will engage to prevent accidental displacement of one setter with relation to another. Obviously, however, this method of engagement between setters may be considerably modiiied.

Since the construction illustrated is capable of a certain ldegree of modicatlon without departing from the spirit of myinvention, I do not wish to be understood asflimlting myself theretoexcept as hereinafter claimed.

I claim:

1. A setter for use in the initial ilring of vitrifled translucent at ware such as tine porcelain and the like, said setter comprising an imperiorate hub to oppose the center of an inverted clay piece, and an imperiorate annularly true depressed flange, said flange being depressed to an extent such that it is adapted to engage con-v lrate 'hub to oppose the center of an inverted clay piece, and an impertorate annularly true depressed nange. said flange beingdepressed to an extent auch that it is-adapted -to engage continuously the rim of the clay piece during the entire tiring operation and to support the central portion of the clay piece in spaced relation to the opposed surface of the hub until the firing has been substantially completed, said hub affording a support for the clay piece during only -the ilnal portion ofthe ring period whereby to prevent deformation of the central portion of the ware during that period when it is in a semiplastic condition, said ilange being conical and havingv a atter angle than the cone of the rim of the clay piece.

LESLIE BROWN. 

